- Audio CD (30 Sep 2003)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Varese Sarabande
- ASIN: B0000CD5I6
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 525,908 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Birthday Card At Christmas |
| 2. Holly Herald |
| 3. A Christmas Song |
| 4. Another Christmas Song |
| 5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
| 6. Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow |
| 7. Last Man At The Party |
| 8. Weathercock |
| 9. Pavane |
| 10. First Snow On Brooklyn |
| 11. Greensleeved |
| 12. Fire At Midnight |
| 13. We Five Kings |
| 14. Ring Out Solstice Bells |
| 15. Bouree |
| 16. A Winter Snowscape |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
While most festive-themed rock offerings are as palatable as turkey leftovers or January credit card statements, Jethro Tull's The Christmas Album is 2003's folk-rock feast for the ears, a veritable hamper of delicacy bulging with dependable old faithfuls (newly rendered versions of JS Bach's "Bouree", "Weathercock", "Fires at Midnight" and "Ring Out Solstice Bells"), jazzed-up carol curiosities ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" really goes with a swing à la Modern Jazz Quartet, "We Five Kings" comes over a little bit Dave Brubeck) and sundry confectionary extravagances, like Martin Barre's shivery instrumental " A Christmas Snowcape".
While it's all reassuringly wrapped-up in the wintry Victorian romanticism of yore (the album cover, after all, is a charmingly subtle joke), The Christmas Album still questions--in curmudgeonly Ian Anderson fashion--what all this back-slapping bonhomie, alcoholic immoderation and High-street retail hysteria is all about. Thus, the frivolity of "Holly Herald" (two spritely carols rolled into one) is counterbalanced by a little Dickensian social conscience on "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow", an imaginatively literate description of the despair of homelessness. Crisply produced in the manner of their vintage 1970s work and brimming with delightful instrumental wit and invention, The Christmas Album is a cracker you'll want to pull more than once. --Kevin Maidment
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Armed with the open-minded realisation that they've earned the right to express themselves musically in any way they want, I left aside the selfish yearning for them to recreate the classic sounds of the 60s, 70s and to a lesser extent the 80s and 90s, and began to appreciate this CD for what it is. A wonderful expression of joy, fun and above all, a celebration of music. The mood is uplifting, the musicianship inspirational, and once again some of the new tracks (e.g. First Snow on Brooklyn) prove that Ian is far from a spent force. The Christmas Album is as welcome in my collection as all their other stuff.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is not your typical and smarmy, sickly-sweet Christmas album. Rather, with this CD Jethro Tull have managed to capture in both verse and melody the spirit of giving, sharing, and perfunctory overindulgence that ostensibly goes with the Christmas season, contrasted with the melancholy and flat-out destitution that the less-fortunate among us actually experience during this time of year. This interplay of content and style are presented against a backdrop of earthly Pagan solstice symbolism, all of which Jethro Tull have managed to integrate as a kind of ecumenical "Birthday Card at Christmas," which not incidentally is the title of the introductory track. This combination is daring and bold, if not outright brilliant, and in my estimation they have pulled it off strikingly well. The musicianship, vocals, lyrics, production and overall execution (not to mention outstanding packaging) are commensurate with and at times exceed even Tull's impeccably high standards, showing this to be a band at the top of it's craft. Anderson's vocals, in particular, complete the album by sounding as warmly weathered as the bearded red-suit uncle himself. It's a decidedly Tull exploration of the seasonal space -- an effort that starts strong and improves with subsequent listens. May it continue to play well for you during the holiday season and throughout the year.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This beautifully packaged new album is a very welcome and utterly justified piece of self-indulgence and celebration on Ian's part - wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, and proving that after 35 years, Jethro Tull can still surprise and delight - whilst at the same time maintaining that essential Tullness. The album consists of a combination of re-invigorated old classics and rare tracks, Tullified Chrsitmas Carols and great new pieces......as well as some expanded flute improvisations that have hitherto only been heard as part of the live set or on rare box sets. Ian has once again proved that he knows exactly what the fans want; The Christmas Album demostrates perfectly the band's propensity for not taking themselves too seriously, whilst still challenging the listener and providing a few suprises. The highlight for me is "We Five Kings" - the most self-indulgent track on the CD is an inspired musical anagram of primary school standard "We Three Kings" and Tull classic, "Living in The Past; and it works brilliantly. The interpretaion of Faure's Pavanne is wonderful, as is that old favourite, Bouree. Jethro Tull made Bach's Bouree their own many years ago - and they have managed to come up with yet another superb version of it here. I'm sure that this album will, in the fullness of time, be considered a classic - alongside Aqualung and Songs From The Wood (from which it takes much influence). No Tull fan can miss this album - it is excellent in every way, and it reminded me of why I love this band. This album is a great Christmas present from Jethro Tull to their fans...I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ring Out, Solstice Bells and Remove the Holly from the Ivy, Jethro...
I am a big Tull fan and love most of his albums due to their innovation and sheer audacity of producing something unique and at times outlandish, while at the same time creating... Read more
Published 1 month ago by S Tuffnell
An amzing atmospheric Christmas folk rock treat
If you like songs like ELP's Christmas ditty then this album won't disappoint it is a true folk Christmas treat even for us atheist space rockers.
Published 9 months ago by Whiskyroom
Best Christmas ever
It is what it is. A Jethro Tull Christmas Album. Eclectic, strange and curiously English. Folk, Rock, Traditional and somehow greater than all of these.
Published on 5 Dec 2009 by cult fan
Traditional Christmas prog fayre
If you're looking for something Christmassy and different, have a listen to this album. It gives the feel of a nostalgic Christmas, even though it was released in the early 2000s. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2009 by GG in GB
Evocative
I'm not what might you call a Tull fan (though I do have their `Broadsword and the Beast', acquired kind of by accident but that's another story). Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2008 by Jamie Collins
An All Year Treat
This is another fantastic album from Jethro Tull a truly excellent experience listening to the stunning music on this album,this album you can listen to all year round but I can... Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2008 by AJ
It only happens once a year
It's the 1st of December today. I can now put this album on until the last day of christmas. Since release this has been a tradition that will never leave my side. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2006 by Mr. Steven Empson
So disappointing
This could have been a fantastic addition to any Tull fan's collection as a purely acoustic based album. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2006 by Jon Stevens
Flute-led Christmas folk-rock album
It is rare for rock artists to record a whole album of Christmas music although they like to record singles or tracks for compilation projects, especially where a worthy cause is... Read more
Published on 25 Nov 2005 by Peter Durward Harris
Earthy and Ecumenical, Indeed
To restate the brilliant review from earlier on, this CD is not your typical and smarmy, sickly-sweet Christmas album, despite the self-interested comments of the quizzical... Read more
Published on 7 July 2005
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